Power driven vibrator



June 4, 1935;

M. AN ms 2,003,332

POWER DRIVEN VIBRATOR Filed July 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11% mmrad June 4, 1935. M, AND 2,003,332

POWER DRIVEN VIBRATOR Filed July 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nnentor Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

13 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in power driven vibrators, such as hair clippers.

Objects of my invention as herein claimed are to provide means to facilitate a universal adjustment of the connections between a vibratory cutter blade and an actuating arm, whereby a cutter blade may be accurately positioned in conformity with the surface of a shearing comb plate oblique to the plane in which the connected portion of the actuating arm vibrates; to provide means associated with .a removable casing top or cap plate of a hair clipper, whereby the cutter blade may be subjected to resilient pressure when the cap plate is in normal position and relieved of such pressure when the cap plate is removed; to provide a casing top or cap plate with improved pressure applying means; to provide such a cap plate with suitable switch mechanism at one end and pressure applying means at the other in association with flexible electrical connections adapted to allow the cap plate to be removed and inverted without release of the electrical connections; to provide improved means for regulating the intensity of the electro-magnetic field in which the armature vibrates; to provide means for completely insulating a set of clipper blades from electrical actuating mechanism employed to vibrate one of the blades upon the other; and in general to provide means whereby all of the working parts of a hair clipper may be exposed by removal of a portion of the casing in such a manner as to afford maximum facility of inspec tion, repair, or replacement.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of an electromagnetically operated hair clipper embodying my invention, showing the cap in an inverted position, removed from the body of the casing.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, portions of the casing and of the blades, being shown in vertical section. I

Figure 3 is a detail view, partly in horizontal section, showing the connection between the armature and the vibratory blade.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in vertical section, showing the pivotal connection between the armature and its mounting.

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating a modified form of armature mounting, in which the 50 armature is pivoted directly to a projection on the casing which is independent of the adjacent mounting which supports the electromagnet.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of construction with the cap removed.

Figure 7 is a side elevation, with portions proken away substantially as in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a detail of the tensioning means governing the pressure of the vibratory blade upon the shearing comb plate.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view drawn to line 99 of Figure 6.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The casing body I 0 and its cap plate I I of my improved vibrator mechanism are preferably composed of non-conducting material, hard rubber composition, fibrous or otherwise, being preferred. The product commercially known as bakelite will be found serviceable. For electromagnetic clippers I preferably employ a three-pole magnet I2 having its forward pole piece l3 connected with the casing body by a single screw 14 which extends through the pole piece 13 into a mounting stud l0 projecting upwardly from the base of the casing body. The screw I4 is preferably socketed at its headed end to receive the cover screw I5, as best shown in Figure 2.

The rear pole piece I! of the electromagnet is similarly secured to a mounting Ill" by two screws l9. In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, a mounting plate 22 will be clamped to the pole piece ll by the screws I9, and a rigid metal plate 23 will preferably be interposed between the mounting plate 22 and the heads of the screws l9, this plate 23 having a threaded socket to receive the cap screw 24, thus protecting the mounting plate 22 from being shifted in position when the cap screw 24 is being tightened.

The mounting plate 22 is pivotally connected with the rear end portion 25 of the armature bar 21. Portion 26 of the armature bar and the associated portion 28 of the mounting plate 22 are parallel to the plane in which the cutter blade 30 vibrates, and also parallel to the bearing surface of its associated shearing comb plate 3|, whereby the portion 26 of the armature may be pivotally connected with the armature mounting for swinging movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane in which the cutter blade 30 vibrates.

To accurately center this pivotal connection of the armature I provide the pivot pin or screw 35 with opposing centering cones 36, and I also mount a bushing 31 in the armature bar aperture through which the pivot pin 35 passes. The

-margins of the bushing 31 are slightly beveled to receive the centering cones 36, as best shown in Figure 4. The bushing 31 is rigidly connected with the armature; being pressed into position therein. The centering cones 36 are threaded to the pivot pin 35 during adjustment to bearing relation with the beveled faces of the bushing. The upper cone is locked by the nut 38, whereby, when the armature vibrates, the bushing will oscillate upon the cone surfaces against which it bears.

This pivotal connection will preferably be located substantially in the longitudinal central plane of the casing I 0, and thecentral portion of the armature bar will be offset to extend along one side of the casing adjacent the pole faces of the electromagnet ll, a three-pole magnet ,being preferably employed. The forward end portion 50 of the armature 27 is aligned with the pivot pin 35 along the central plane of the clipper and is connected with the central portion of the blade 35, preferably near its rear margin, by two brackets at having laterally extending lips or flanges 55 secured to the blade by the screws 56.

In order that the portion 40 of the armature 48 having apertures 49 to receive a clamping screw 50 having clamping nuts 5| threaded to its respective ends.

The portion to of the armature is apertured to receive bearing members 53 having spherically rounded outer surfaces, the curvature of which corresponds with the curvature of the inner surfaces of the bracket bearings 68. The bearing members 53 are preferably formed of hard insulatingmaterial, material similar to that of which the casing l0 is composed being preferred. These bearing members have tubular studs which are pressed into the aperture in the portion 60 of the armature. It will be observed that the apertures 49 in the bearing members 48 through which the clamping screw50 extends have a larger diameter than the screw, whereby when the clamping nuts 5! are loosened the vibratory cutter blade 30 may be pressed firmly against the comb plate in proper relation thereto when assembling the parts, and the clamping nut 5! may then be adjusted to rigidly clamp the bearing members 48 to the armature bearing members 53, thereby making a rigid connection adapted to permanently maintain the adjustment of the armature and the blade. Should the electric current become short circuited to the armature it will not reach the cutter blade inasmuch as the latter is insulated from the armature by the non-conducting bearing members 53.

With the above described construction the swinging movement of the armature is a true swinging movement about the axis of the pivot pin 35, and the blade 30 vibrates about the same axis as if it were a part of the armature, no yielding movement of accommodation being necessary.

Owing to the short are in which the blade reciprocates and the distance from the pivotal axis, the movement of the blade will be in an approximately straight line. The arcuate deviation from a straight line will be insufiicient to interfere with the cutting efliciency of the blade.

Ihe armature 21 is normally centered by means of torsion spring I 55 which resiliently opposes vibratory displacement of the armature and movable blade 30 in either'direction. One end of the spring is anchored to casing boss 56 by clip 51 and the other end of the spring is held by clip 58 to the armature extension 40.

Improved tensioning means will now be described for applying the desired pressure to the vibratory cutter bladeand for enabling the cap plate and an associated switch to be removed without releasing the electrical connection.

In the preferred form of construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the cap plate It forms the entire top portion of the clipper casing body l0, and at its forward end it has an inwardly projecting shoulder forming portion 60. A piece of resilient wire has its central portion coiled about a screw M which clamps it to the shouldered member 66 of the cap plate, the wire ex' ending laterally from the screw on each side to forwardly projecting arms 62 which are helically coiled at 63, each end portion of the wire projecting from the base of its associated coil in the form of an arm 64, the extremity of which is received in a socket 65 (Figure 1) formed in the upper surface of the clipper blade 30. This spring wire is under tension urging the blade into contact with the bearing surfaces of the shearing comb plate 3| whereby the desired pressure and conformity to the comb plate is obtained.

A switch box 65 is socketed in the rear portion of the cap or cover plate H and provided with clamping screws 66 and 61 which are respectively connected with the electrical conductors or leads 68 and 69, the latter being of sufficient length to allow the cap plate to be removed and inverted, as shown in Figure 1, without disengaging these leads. The switch may be operated by a sliding thumb piece 10 having a shank projecting through a slot in the cap plate and connected with the switch mechanism. The particular structure of the switch is not material to the invention herein disclosed, and as any ordinary switch may be used, further description thereof is deemedunnecessary.

A shunt bar 12 is preferably supported at one end from the mounting 22 by a spring 73, and its other end is adjustably held in the desired spaced relation to one or more of the magnet poles by an adjusting screw 14 having an exterior operating knob 15. This armature bar is held with substantial rigidity in the desired position of adjustment, but by turning the screw the gap between it and the associated pole piece or pole pieces may be varied and the strength of the magnetic field of the armature may thus be correspondingly varied to suit the requirements for any given installation. The intensity of the current may vary at different locations or points of installations, but by tuning the armature for operation under a predetermined minimum'strength of current the shunt bar'may be utilized to regulate the intensity of the magnetic "field accordly.

In Figure 5 the general construction may be assumed to be the same as in Figures l to 4 with the exception that the portion 26 of the armature bar and its associated pin or screw 35 and centering cones 36- are carried from the casing by a mounting stud 16 instead of having the armature pivotally connected with a mounting plate at-- tached to one of the magnet poles. The upper surface'of the mounting stud I6 is beveled in a plane corresponding with the plane in which the cutter blade vibrates, and therefore the operation will be the same as above described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive.

In Figures 6 to 9 inclusive I have illustrated a modified form of :construction in which a portion 26a of an armature bar 2111, otherwise similar to that disclosed in Figures 1 to s, inclusive, is proprovidedwith a spherical knob 85 at its rear end which is seated in spherically rounded sockets BI and 82 formedin the mounting plates 83 and 8 3, respectively. These mounting plates have base flanges 85 and 86 which are secured to the bottom of the-casing by suitable screws, as best shown in Figures 6 to 9.

The use of the spherical knob 80, socketed as above described, provides a universal joint connection with the casing which avoids the necessity for precise accuracy in positioning the pivot pin disclosed in the other views, although when the adjustment has been made the armature bar Zia will vibrate about a pivotal axis perpendicular to the plane in which the cutter blade vibrates in substantially the same manner as in the structure disclosed in Figures 1 to 4.

A shunt bar 520) is supported from one of the magnet pole pieces by a spring "i3a, and at its other end is supported from the casing by a screw I ia. This shunt bar is similar to the shunt bar disclosed in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, except that it is locatedon the opposite side of the magnet from that occupied by the blade actuating arm or armature 21a, and also in Figure 6 a longer shunt bar is illustrated.

Also, in Figures 6, '7, 8, and 9, I substitute a pair of coiled compression springs 90 for the tension springs 62-53 disclosed in Figure 1. These springs 90 are each seated at one end against the casing cap shoulder SI and are preferably held from shifting by studs 92, and their opposite ends are provided with seating caps or disks 93 having conically tapered prongs 94 in point bearing relation to the socketed portions of the cutter blade 36. It will be noted that the springs 90 converge in the direction of the seating members 93 and this convergence is sufiicient to prevent the springs fromswingihg across the longitudinal center line of maximum compression when the cutter blade is vibrated. Heretofore attempts have been made to employ one or more tensioning springs in a similar relation to a cutter blade, but so far as I am aware such attempts were not successful-for the reason that when a cutter blade vibrated the spring or springs tended to hold it first at one end of the stroke and then at the other end of the stroke as the spring swung across the center line of maximum tension, i. e., compression.

By having the springs converge to a greater extent than the length of the vibratory stroke the variation in the tension of one spring counteracts opposite variation in the tension of the other, and thus maintains uniform pressure of the cutter blade upon the comb plate.

It will be understood that the modifications herein described may beapplied to the structure shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, if desired, and it will also be understood that the shunt bar disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 may be used in the structures disclosed in Figures 5 to 9, inclusive.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied to a hair clipper of the vibratory type it will be understood that my invention is app icable to any type of tool to be electromagnetically vibrated or otherwise power driven, and therefore I do not limit the scope of all of my claims to hair clippers, since any other tool may be substituted for the cutter blade shown in the drawings, insofar as such tool may be operable under similar conditions.

Therefore, in some of the appended claims I employ the term actuating arm in substitution for the word armature, and I refer to the tool as a vibratory tool in order that the scope of such claims may not be limited to armature bars and cutter blades of a hair clipper.

I claim: 7

l. A hair clipper having a vibratory cutter blade in combination with a rigidly connected actuating arm movable in a plane to which the cutter blade is oblique, and a pivotal support for said arm perpendicular to the plane in which the cutter blade vibrates, the actuating arm having spherically rounded members, the cutter blade having brackets provided with concave sockets to receive said members, and means for clamping the brackets and rounded members together in a predetermined position.

2. An electromagnetic hair clipper comprising the combination with a handle-like casing adapted to contain driving mechanism, an electromagnet mounted in said casing and provided with a vibratory armature, a comb plate connected with the casing in a plane oblique to the plane in which the armature vibrates and a cutter blade mounted for vibratory movement upon the comb plate and having clamping engagement with one end of the armature, the other end of the armature having a portion in a plane parallel to the plane in which the cutter blade vibrates, and a support for said portion pivotally connected therewith, said casing having a cap plate provided with an interior shoulder, spring arms connected with said shoulder and having end members socketed in the vibratory cutter blade, said spring members being adapted to apply predetermined pressure to the cutter blade to hold it to the comb plate.

3. An electromagnetic hair clipper comprising the combination with a handle-like casing adapted to contain driving mechanism, an electromagnet mounted in said casing and provided with a vibratory armature, a comb plate connected with the casing in a plane oblique to the plane in which the armature vibrates and a cutter blade mounted for vibratory movement upon the comb plate and having clamping engagement with one end of the armature, the other end of the armature having a portion in a plane parallel to the plane in which the cutter blade vibrates, and a support for said portion pivotally con nected therewith, said casing having a cap plate provided with an interior shoulder, spring arms connected with said shoulder and having end members socketed in the vibratory cutter blade, said spring members being adapted to apply predetermined pressure to the cutter blade to hold it to the comb plate, said spring members comprising a single piece of wire secured to the cap plate shoulder and having end portions intermediately coiled and'under compression when the extremities are connected with the cutter blade.

4. In an electrically operated hair clipper, a blade actuating arm having spherically rounded bearing members, a clipper blade having brackets provided with spherically rounded sockets, and means for clampingly securing said brackets to the arm bearings.

5. In a hair clipper having a handle-like casing and a comb plate positioned at one end of the casing" obliquely to the axis of the casing, an electromagnet and a vibratory armature within the casing, a cutter blade fixedly secured to one end of the armature and movable upon the comb plate, a mounting for the armature secured to one of the magnet pole pieces and having an extension in a plane substantially parallel with the comb plate and pivotally connected with the armature to permit armature vibration in the swinging movement about an axis perpendicular to the face of the comb plate upon which the cutter blade vibrates, and a shunt bar 75 for regulating the intensity of the magnetic field, said armature being cut away to provide an opening exposing said magnet, and said shunt bar being disposed in said opening.

6. In a hair clipper, the combination of a cap plate provided on its inner face with helically coiled resilient arms having extremities adapted for point bearing relation with a cutter blade.

7. In a hair clipper, the combination of a cap plate provided with helically coiled resilient arms having extremities. adapted for point bearing relation with a cutter blade, said arms extending convergently from the cap plate to said point bearing extremities, each of said arms being inclined from a plane perpendicular to the blade to an extent substantially equal to one-half of the length of the blade stroke.

8. In an electrically operated hair clipper, the combination with a casing having a removable cap plate, a shear plate carried by said casing and overhung by said "cap plate, a cutting blade vibratory upon said shear plate with its major portion overhung by the cap plate, and resiliently yielding tension means wholly carried by said cap plate and acting directly upon said blade for pressing said blade towardsaid shear plate, the cap plate housing said tensioning means and serving as a support therefor when removed from the casing.

9. The combination with a hair clipper casing and a socketed cutter blade vibratory with respect thereto, of a cap plate for said casing provided with tensioning means comprising resilient wire fastened to the cap plate and engaged in the socketed portion of the cutter blade, portions of saidwireheing at opposite sides of the center of the vibratory stroke of said blade and within a space enclosed between said blade and cap plate.

10. In a hair clipper having a handle-like casing, an electromagnet therein and a vibratory armature bar extending along one side of the casing between it and the electromagnet, a mounting to which the armature is pivoted, a shunt bar adjustably supported from the armature mounting and extending into the magnetic field occupied by the armature, and a manually operable adjusting device extending through the casing and connected with said shunt bar, said device being adapted to move the shunt bar toward and away from associated armature poles.

11. In a hair clipper having a handle-like casing, an electromagnet therein and a vibratory armature bar extending along one side of the casing between it and the electromagnet, a

mounting to which the armature is pivoted, a

shunt bar adjustablysupportedfrom the armature mounting and extending into the magnetic field occupied by the armature, and a manually operable adjusting device extending through the casing and connected with said shunt bar, said device being adapted to move the shunt bar toward and away from associated armature poles, and said armature bar having a notched portion in which the shunt bar is transversely movable.

12. In a hair clipper, a casing provided with a removable cap plate, having blade tensioning means secured to its under surface at one end and a switch box secured to its under surface at the other end, said switch box being provided with flexible electrical switch connections of sufficient length to allow removal and inversion of the cap plate to simultaneously expose the working mechanism in the body of the clipper case, while also exposing the tensioning means and the. switch box by inversion of the cover.

13. In an electrically operatedhair clipper, the combination with a casing having a body and removable cap plate, electrical clipper operating mechanism mounted in the body, switch mechanism mounted upon the undersurface of the cap plate and provided with an exterior switch actuator, and flexible electrical connections ex tending from the body and its clipper operating mechanism to the switch mechanism to enable the clipper operating mechanism to be controlled thereby, said connections being of sufficient length to allow the cap plate to be removed and inverted without disengagement of the connections.

MATHEW ANDIS. 

